The Department of Chemistry is purchasing equipment for electrochemical and magnetic studies in support of the development of an inorganic laboratory course and revision of an instrumental analysis course. The instruments are being used to investigate the relationships between the oxidation state of metals and the rates of electron transfer reactions, acidity of ligands, absorbtion spectra, and magnetic properties. Undergraduate students engaging in independent research projects are also making extensive use of the instruments.In the laboratory component of instrumental analysis, the training of our students in electrochemistry will be improved. In this fundamental area of chemistry standard experiments involving polarographic and stripping voltammetric techniques will be introduced. Major equipment includes a polarographic analyzer and stripping voltammeter. The basic foundations of electrochemistry developed in instrumental analysis will help to understand the electrochemical techniques involved in the advanced inorganic laboratory.
